


One Does Not Simply ...

by Dassandre



Series: Word of the Day Fics [3]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Angry Q, Bad Things Happen When Q Gets Angry, Gen, Missions Gone Wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 18:12:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dassandre/pseuds/Dassandre
Summary: “Surely it’s not as bad as all that,” Mallory said, barely sparing Moneypenny a glance from the AAR report 002 had submitted, surprisingly on time for once in his career.  “He’s had bad days before.  Look at what we do for a living,” he gestured with the report.  “We all have bad days.”





	One Does Not Simply ...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Boffin1710](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/gifts), [AsheTarasovich (natalieashe)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/gifts), [springbok7](https://archiveofourown.org/users/springbok7/gifts).



> For the Team 00 Challenge for 007Fest 2018. This writing fills photo prompts 1 (Q and Tanner) and 7 (Mallory and Moneypenny). It is also part of my Word of the Day series.
> 
> It has not been betaed or Brit-picked. Errors are mine.
> 
>  
> 
> Gifted to my friends. I hope this brings you each some happiness. Perhaps even a smile.

 

 

 

“Not to be the bearer of bad realities, sir, but if you don’t get down there right now, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”  

“Surely it’s not as bad as all that,” Mallory said, barely sparing Moneypenny a glance from the AAR report 002 had submitted, surprisingly on time for once in his career.  “Q’s had bad days before. Look at what we do for a living,” he gestured with the report. “We _all_ have bad days.  Doesn't mean that he's going to go off the rails.”

“The Halifax mission went pear-shaped,” Eve reminded him.  Harrowing was too gentle a word for what had transpired.

“I’ve seen the report.  He still managed to get Trevelyan out in one piece along with the intel.”

“He had to sack two of his minions for gross incompetence after that cock up in the munitions lab yesterday.”  Though Eve knew Q had increased said minions’ life-expectancy by several years with the sacking and providing each with a protection identity and scheme to keep Bella from finding them once she was released from Medical, the Quartermaster hated that aspect of his managerial life.  Always put him in a piss poor mood. But the two idiots had nearly killed 0012 with that stunt.

“He’s already promoted a pair of promising techs from the ranks of his junior technicians.  Thinks they’ll fit in nicely, though he intends to keep them away from anything that ignites or explodes for at least the first six months,” Mallory said.  He had finished reading the report and had walked around his desk to sit down and finish up some paperwork when Eve finished with …

“Richardson from accounting called down to demand Q come up and fix the copier.”

Mallory knew Eve would never tell anyone how he had missed the seat of his chair.  How in his horror at what she had shared, he had caught only the bare edge of the leather, sending the wheeled chair shooting back to bounce off the bookshelves.  How he had to haul himself up from the ground -- elbows on the desktop, damn his arthritic knee -- to his feet.

“One does not simply ask, let alone demand, the Quartermaster of MI6 -- possibly the greatest mind in three generations --” _to say nothing of one of the prickliest_ , Mallory thought as an aside, “to pop up to accounting to repair a sodding copier!”  

Surely Richardson wasn’t that stupid.  Q would be incensed. Anything, literally _anything_ , was possible in such a scenario.

Moneypenny’s baleful stare was confirmation that, indeed, Richardson had done. And clearly _was_ that stupid.  Mallory would need to hire a new accountant assuming any of them survived the fallout.  Eve’s mobile rang before he could think too much on that, piercing the tense reality that had settled in the room.

“It’s R,” Eve said, thumbing open her mobile.  Mallory was treated to a short but largely one-sided conversation as Q’s second recounted what was transpiring downstairs.  At least what she could apparently see from behind a pillar at the back of the Q-Branch bullpen.

“Are you _sure_ ,” Eve asked after several moments of listening.

“Well, he’s not playing bloody Mario Kart!” was the only thing M heard from R’s end of the line.

“Status?” he demanded once Eve had disconnected the call.

“That series of South Korean war games the American president unexpectedly scuppered just before the summit in Singapore ...”

“Q _wouldn’t_!”

“R thinks he’s attempting the hack as we speak.”

“Bloody buggering fuck!”  Mallory bolted for his office door, or at least as much of a run as his old, arthritic knee would permit.

“Oh, and sir,” Moneypenny called after him.  “Tanner’s with him. He brought Indian takeaway … and _beer_!”

She could hear Mallory's groan echo through the corridor outside his office and could easily guess his thoughts.  

Q _and_ Tanner?!  They were so, so screwed.

 

* * *

 

**Word of the Day - Prompt Fill**

 

**Scupper**

  * British. Informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; wreck.
  * British. Military. to overwhelm; surprise and destroy, disable, or massacre.



"McMaster has tried to prevent his celebrity from scuppering his career.", "McMaster and Commander," The New Yorker, April 30, 2018

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Short and to the point, but if you liked it, please let me know. Positive feedback is at a premium right now and would be quite appreciated.


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